Vehicle-spring.



R. R. POTTER.

VEHICLE SPRING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, 1914. Lgg L Patenued Feb. 9, 1915.

TTBNE'I ROBERJ.1 R. POTTER'OE MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK.

f VEHICLE-SPRING;

To ad whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT R. POTTER, a citizen of the United States, and-a resident of Mount Vernon, in the-county of Westchester and State of New York, have madeand invented, certain new7 and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Springs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in springs for use in connection with automobiles, wagons, carriages, and other ve- .hicles, the object being to produce a device of this kind in which. by reason of its construction and arrangement of parts, the friction, caused by the movement of the several leaves one upon the other, will be to a great extent overcome, 4thereby materially adding to its resiliency and efficiency. As usually constructed, springs of this character are so built and arranged that each leaf contacts with the adjacent leaves throughout its entire length, so that when the weight, superposed thereon, tends to flatten or straighten the leaves of the spring, the friction caused by the moving and contacting leaves operates to rob the device of much' of its resiliency, this being especially ,so after the spring has been in use a considerable length of time, and the contacting surfaces oxidized by exposure to the weather. For the purpose of avoiding this objection, I have separated the leaves by means of small rollers or balls, positioned along the length of the leaves, and so arranged that they will be allowed not only a rotating movement, but also a certain amount of travel on the leaves between which they are located, means being also employed to keep the same lubricated and to exclude the dust, dirt, or other foreign material from entering between the separated leaves.

My invention contemplates certain other novel features of construction and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a. view -in side elevation of a spring constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan View of a detached portion of one of the leaves of the spring, having the roller housing superposed thereon, and with the upper adjacent leaf of the spring, and intervening fabric, omitted. Fig. 4 is a sec-.

tionaly viewl through one 'portion of the Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented seb. e, i915.

Application filed May 26, 1914. Serial No. 840,992.

spring showing two adjacent leaves with housing, fabric and roller intervening. Fig.

5 is a sectional View taken on the line 5-5' of Fig. 4, the` roller being shown in elevation. Fig` v6 is a detached view in perspectiver of a portion of the housing.

By reference to these drawings, it will be seenv that the spring comprises a number of leaves 7, 8, 9 and 10, the number thereof depending upon the resiliency or the stiffness desired. vAs usual, in this type of spring, the several leaves are bound or held together at about the center of their length `by the yokes 11, and by a bolt 12 passing down through thel center of the same. Between the adjacent leaves of the spring are located housings 13 preferably formed of thin sheet metal, such asmild steel, these housings usually extending the entire length of the respectiige leaf under which it is located, and in-w1dth approximately the same as the width of the leaf.A At points along the length of each of these housings 13 the metal is slitted and turned upwardly, forming the vertical flanges 14, leaving an opening' 15 extending partway across the leaf and of sufficient length to allow the roller a slight longitudinal travel as hereinafter described. In the opening 15 is contained a rollerfof a length slightly shorter than the opening, and of a diameter slightly greater than Vthe height of the vertical flanges 14 housing 13 is formed, the result being that whenl the parts are assembled as clearly illustrated -in""Fig. 44, the leaves of the. spring are separated to the extent of the diameter of the roller 16, that is, to an extent slightly greaterr than the height of the vertical flanges'14 of the housing 13, the roller resting on the lower leaf vofthe spring, as for instance, lNo. 10, and on which roller rests the next upper leaf 9, said roller being located inthe opening 15 and prevented from moving laterally by the edges of said opening, and allowed a certain length of travel longitudinally between the leaves equal to the distance between the vertical flanges illl- 14, the upper edges of these vertical walls or flanges beingbelow the under surface or side of the upper adjacent leaf and out of contact therewith. j

I n order to prevent the dust, dirt, or other foreign matter from finding its way into the yopening 1'5 in the housing 13, I interpose beioo tween the latter and thefnext upper adjacent leaf of the spring, a strip of cloth or fabric 17, these strips extending from about the center of the spring where the yokes 11 clamp the same, outwardly to about the end of the respective leaf under whichA it is lo-` cated openingsbeing cut in these strips of fabric to allow of the projection of the verl tical walls 14 of the housing 13 through.

them, and also permitting the rollers 16 to contact with the'lower surface of one leaf and under surface ofthe upper adjacentleaf, these strips of fabric entirely overlapping or covering the housings with the exception, as before stated, of the openings 15 in the latter. If desired, the opening 15 may be filled with a `grease or other lubricant,

such being'ont'ained within the receptacle formed by the vertical walls 14 of the housing and the ends of the opening in the fabric 17, the leaves below andl above the housing forming the bottom andthe top of this receptacle. v

' While I have described theuse of rollers 16 in connection with my improved spring, it will be understood, of course, without fur` ther description or illustration, `'that balls time the dust and dirt is prevented from entrance4 thereto. v

What lI claim is 1. A spring of the character described -comprising a plurality of superposed leaves,

a plurality of rollers spaced apart and lo-A cated between said leaves to provide bearings therefor, and housings located between saidleaves, said`housings being vprovided with openings extending partway across the same,

the metal from said openings being bent upwardly to' form flanges, said rollers fitting in said ianged openings of the housings.

2. A. spring of the character described` comprising a plurality of superpesed leaves, a' plurality of rollers spaced apart and located between said leaves to provide bearings therefor, housings located between said leaves and providedv with openings in which -are contairdusaid rollers, a fabric located between said leaves and around said rollers for excluding foreign substances therefrom. 3. A spring comprisingl a plurality of superposed'leaves, a plurality of rollers located between the adjacent leaves and* affording bearings therefor, strips of metal provided with walled openings located between said leaves and in which openings are contained said rollers, and strips of fabric located between said leaves and around lsaid openings in the housings for excluding for-- elgn substances therefrom.

Signed at Mount Vernon in the county'of-` VVestcheste'rand State of New York this 20th day of May, A. D. 1914;. w

ROBERT R. POTTER.

Witnesses: FRANCIS WEINHErMER,

DAVID L. EMMELUTILM 

